Main content

Alan Bennett, Terry Pratchett, The Duck House, The Great Train Robbery

Alan Bennett on the nation's favourite play, Terry Pratchett on the 40th Discworld novel, novelist NJ Cooper reviews The Great Train Robbery, and Ben Miller in The Duck House.

With Mark Lawson

Alan Bennett gives his reaction as his drama The History Boys is named the nation's favourite play by the English Touring Theatre's 21st Anniversary poll.

A forthcoming two-part television drama, starring Jim Broadbent and Luke Evans, is going to show both sides of the 1963 Great Train Robbery. Firstly from the point of view of the criminals and then of the police who tracked them down afterwards. Written by Chris Chibnall, creator of the hit TV series Broadchurch, the two dramas are timed for the 50th anniversary of the crime - a raid on a Royal Mail train that netted the then-record haul of 拢2.6m. Crime writer NJ Cooper reviews.

Terry Pratchett's 40th Discworld novel brings the wonders of steam-power to Ankh-Morpork when enterprising young Dick Simnel builds a steam engine. It's 30 years since Terry Pratchett began writing about Discworld, and he talks to Mark about how the ideas for stories appear, what he does with these ideas if they aren't quite ready to be put into a book, and how he and his assistant Rob Wilkins have been teaching Terry's voice-activated software to recognise some of Discworld's more unlikely names.

The Duck House is a new political satire focusing on the 2009 Expenses Scandal. Labour MP Robert Houston, played by Ben Miller, is planning to escape defeat in the next election by defecting to the Tory party when the scandal breaks. Houston must try to persuade the Tories he is squeaky-clean while trying to hide the duck house he put on expenses. Political journalist Andrew Rawnsley reviews.

Produced by Ella-mai Robey.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Alan Bennett

    Duration: 08:10

  • The Great Train Robbery

    Duration: 05:30

  • Terry Pratchett

    Duration: 09:40

  • The Duck House

    Duration: 04:49

The Great Train Robbery

The Great Train Robbery

is on 18th and 19th December at 8pm on 大象传媒1. It will also be available on DVD from 6th January 2014.聽


Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett

Raising Steam by is available now in hardback now.


The Duck House

The Duck House

is at the Vaudeville Theatre in London until 29th March 2014


Image: Simon Shepherd, Ben Miller and Debbie Chazen in The Duck House. Photo by Tristram Kenton

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Mark Lawson
Interviewed Guest Alan Bennett
Interviewed Guest NJ Cooper
Interviewed Guest Terry Pratchett
Interviewed Guest Andrew Rawnsley
Producer Ella-mai Robey

Broadcast

  • Wed 11 Dec 2013 19:15

Featured in...

大象传媒 Arts Digital

The best of British culture live and on demand.

Inspire

Inspire

A season discovering where artists find inspiration and helping listeners get creative.

Podcast